Dear Brother
by Dragon'sHost
Summary: Throughout everything, the one true constant in Hilda's life has been her letters written to her brother.
1. Chapter 1

**I recently finished my first playthrough for this game, and Hilda quite unexpectedly captured my heart. Be warned, this fic will follow my Golden Deer playthrough, and contain spoilers for that route.**

**I hope you enjoy this fic.**

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_Day 13, Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180_

Dear Brother,

I must say that the Officer's Academy is much more eventful than you led me to believe. In the first two weeks, not only have I been forced to camp - outside! And on the ground! - but the joint drills held for the combined houses at the start of the year did not go smoothly in the least.

The first combined drill, where we learned how to pitch tents and pack bags… it was beyond tedious, and so were my new housemates. I must admit that I fear for the future of the Alliance at this rate.

In my house we have most notably Lorenz of House Gloucester, Claude of House Riegan, Marianne of House Edmund, and Lysithea of House Ordelia. We also have three commoners of decent skill, Leonie, Ignatz, and Raphael. All of whom performed better at most of these tasks than us nobles, I must admit. As a result, we performed a bit better than the other classes, so at least there's that.

As for what I think of each of them…

Lorenz Hellman Gloucester seems to believe very strongly in the right of nobility to rule and is incredibly pious as well. I don't really take offense to any of that, but I do find him difficult to be around when he's always talking about it. Before I came here, I had heard tell of people who only join the Officer's Academy in order to find a suitable spouse, but prior to meeting Lorenz, I had falsely assumed all such people were women. I need to apologize to the women of the world for my erroneous belief.

Marianne von Edmund… she is the opposite of Lorenz in every way. I don't think she's spoken more than a few words to anyone so far. Either she's chronically shy… or she's hiding something. Out of them all, she's the easiest to deal with, though.

First impression of Lysithea von Ordelia is that she and I are complete opposites. I have yet to see her remove her nose from a book since we arrived here, and I've heard that she's already checked out most of the magic tomes the library has to offer. A very diligent person all around. We are definitely not going to get along, I can feel it.

Leonie Pinelli, one of the commoners in my house, scored the highest on all of the drills so far. She's another super capable person. But as long as it gets us ahead of the other houses, I don't have any complaints about her.

Ignatz Victor. Second son of a merchant family. He seems pretty shy, but not to the same degree as Marianne. I'm not sure he fully wants to be here, if I'm being honest.

Then there's Raphael Kirsten. He's huge! When I first met him, I thought he was a bear. He's … very loud. But also very strong and earnest.

Which leads me to the man we've chosen to be our House Leader… Claude von Riegan. He seems to be very astute, if a bit flippant. Something about him simultaneously makes you want to trust him and also makes you certain that that's a bad idea. Either way… he worked just as hard as the commoners during these exercises, and I've glimpsed stacks of books in his room. There's at least some substance behind his snark, but only time will tell how deeply it's buried. Regardless, this is the man we've chosen to represent us, and he does seem to be taking that seriously.

As for the other houses, I can't say that I know any of their members particularly well yet. The Black Eagles chose Edelgard von Hresvelg as their Head of House, and the Blue Lions chose Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd. So with the addition of Claude, all three houses this year have the future rulers of their countries leading them. If nothing else, it's going to be an interesting year.

We have one more joint drill before each house is assigned a professor. Once that happens, I will let you know who is assigned to the Golden Deer. I'm hoping it's someone who can recognize my value… off the battlefield entirely. If nothing else, these early drills have convinced me that this is not the life for me at all! If the professors can't recognize me for the delicate flower I am, then there's no hope for this place.

When you had described your time here to me, I had honestly thought that it wouldn't be this work intensive.

Speaking of work, how are you doing? Are the Almyrans keeping you busy? I haven't heard much news all the way out here in Garreg Mach Monastery, so for all I know we could have been invaded and I'd be none the wiser.

It's been a while since I've seen you face to face. You didn't even come to see me off before I left for the monastery! Don't forget to take a break every once in a while, or else you'll make yourself sick again. And do not lie to me about the amount of work you're taking on. I know how much you don't like to disappoint anyone. However, you'll do no one any good if you collapse, especially on the battlefield. So please take care of yourself, and don't allow Father to pressure you into things that will hurt you. I will be devastated if that happens, and you don't want to disappoint your dear sister, do you? Who would I write letters to, then? Keep that in mind before you tell me a half-truth.

Here's hoping that the rest of the year is easier than this.

Love you always, even if you are a big fat liar.

Love,

Hilda


	2. Chapter 2

**Since I played a female Byleth, and this follows my playthrough, this fic also has a female Byleth.**

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_Day 21, Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180_

Dear Brother,

I am sure that you've already heard this through other sources, and things haven't completely settled down here, but I wished to send you this letter before you grew too worried for my sake or sent soldiers to the monastery.

First of all, I am completely fine, and so are my classmates. So please hold off on doing anything rash, like coming down here personally. You will get in everyone's way and you can't leave Fodlan's Locket bereft of its commander right now, if the situation with Almyra is intensifying as your last letter indicated.

Putting aside your complete disregard of my instructions to take a break, I will tell you what precisely happened here at the monastery.

A couple of days ago, we had our final outside drill before professors would be assigned to each house. One of them was supervising the mock battle and camp setup, but we were mostly left to sort things out for ourselves based on the experience from our prior exercises.

All of that went well, and the Golden Deer did a much better job of functioning as a cohesive unit than we did before. We have nothing on the Black Eagles and Blue Lions, but I am oddly proud of our progress. I am finally starting to see what you meant by House Unity.

However, late into the night, bandits attacked our camp. It was chaos, since none of us were prepared for a genuine fight just yet. Claude told us that he would act as a distraction and draw them away from the main group. Apparently he wasn't the only one with that idea, as I saw Dimitri and Edelgard do the same. The end result is that all of the bandits chased after the prime targets, and the rest of us were able to escape. It wasn't long before the Knights of Seiros rescued us and brought us back to the monastery.

During the confusion, the professor supervising us disappeared. The rumor is that they abandoned us once the bandits attacked. I'm not sure I fully believe that the church would hire a professor like that, but there's no denying the fact that we were in grave danger out there. Immediately after it all, I was not sure that I wanted to continue attending this school.

But Claude and the other house leaders impressed me that night. They were willing to put themselves in direct danger to give us a better chance to escape. It reminds me a bit of your own selflessness, brother. It's not a particularly bright mindset, overall… but I don't mind being under the command of someone that will look after my wellbeing, you know?

At any rate, I had thought that would be the end for the house leaders. I didn't think that there was any way they could fight off all those bandits on their own.

Well, in part I was right about that. They did manage to find help - from a group of mercenaries in a nearby village! I suppose I should have paid more attention to the map reading class, because I had no idea that there even was a village that close to where we were.

I digress. The important thing is that they were able to convince the mercenaries to help them, and they came home safely. With the mercenaries in tow, as well! It turns out that twenty years ago, the leader of them used to be the Captain of the Knights of Seiros! I was amazed when I heard. It seems one of the other knights recognized him and invited him and his daughter back.

Furthermore, you'll be pleased to know that they'll be staying on at the monastery! I haven't met the Captain yet, but his name is Jeralt and he looks pretty stern. I heard that he'll be helping out the current Captain with some of his duties.

I have met his daughter, however, and spoke to her briefly. She is not that much older than us, and is a bit hard to read - has the best poker face I've ever seen before. But I think I like her! She's very cool, and calm, and there's an air of… gentleness about her when she's near the students. I guess she'll be joining the Knights along with her father, so hopefully I'll be seeing a lot more of her around! I think all three house leaders are a little smitten with her, by the way. Claude will tell anyone who will listen about how much he enjoyed watching her fight and her strength, and I've seen Edelgard and Dimitri with much the same expressions on their faces as him when she's nearby. They're all acting like excited little kids! It's honestly endearing to watch.

I suppose with all this eventfulness, this leaves the professor assignation a bit up in the air. They've decided to put it off for another week or two. There's talk that Jeritza von Hrym, our combat instructor, will become the replacement professor. If that happens, I really hope he doesn't end up with our house. He's a merciless taskmaster, who doesn't seem to care that I'm a delicate noblewoman and not cut out for combat. And... I don't know, he gives me the creeps. I think it's the plain masquerade mask he's always wearing. It hides a lot his expressions. I heard a rumor that he's related to someone in one of the Houses, but I couldn't even begin to venture a guess as to who that might be. He shows zero favoritism when he's instructing.

I had better leave this letter off there. I'm sure that I'll have plenty more to write to you about soon. For now, please don't worry about me. We've got two very capable and strong new Knights around now, and no one was seriously hurt with what happened.

Wishing you all the best.

Love,

Hilda


	3. Chapter 3

**Before anyone decides to correct me, the correct order of P.S.'s really is: P.S., P.S.S., P.P.S, P.P.P.S (and so on and so forth). Roommate looked it up for me. I was a little surprised.**

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_Day 24, Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180_

Dear Brother,

I have really interesting news for you! That mercenary I told you about in my previous letter? The daughter of the former Captain? It turns out that she was not hired as a knight, but as a professor instead! I can't even begin to explain to you my shock. She may have saved the house leaders, but that doesn't necessarily mean that she is qualified to teach. Don't get me wrong, though, brother. I am very pleased by this turn of events. I'm sure the archbishop and the church know what they're doing. Then again, they did hire the one professor who ran off, so we will see.

...I suppose my feelings are a little mixed after all, but I will admit that I'm relieved that the new professor wasn't Jeritza after all. I don't think he was upset about being passed over for the position, though. I did catch him trying to goad the new professor into a fight, but I think that's just… Jeritza being himself.

Apparently Claude and the other house leaders knew about the professor for some time. I'm not impressed, and annoyed by how well they kept that information to themselves. I guess it explains their behavior for the past couple of days, however.

Speaking of which, the professors have been assigned to their houses as well. Although "assigned" might not be the right word for it. It seems that the new professor was allowed to choose which house she wanted to lead. Even more surprising was that, having her pick, she still chose the Golden Deer. I must say that it will be very interesting to have her instructing us. Claude is over the moon with his delight, and his behavior is starting to grate on my nerves a bit. Still, I'm sure it won't be drill after drill anymore.

Edelgard and Dimitri looked a bit disappointed that they weren't chosen.

At the end of the month, we are to have a mock battle against the other houses. Supposedly, it will be a judgement of the new professor's abilities to teach. You would think that would be something they'd figure out ahead of time, but apparently not. It will be a limited deployment, so chances are good that I won't have to participate. I will do my best to cheer everyone on from where I belong: the sidelines!

Classes with our professor will officially start up tomorrow, so I'll let you know how that goes.

Love,

Hilda

P.S. You may have a point about Jeritza and the professor. I'm not sure why I find one off-putting and the other… less so. Maybe it has to do with how the mask makes it seem like Jeritza has something to conceal? I will think more on it.

P.S.S. I'm sorry to hear that you broke your foot. Maybe next time you should delegate some of the tasks instead, and have someone else carry them to where they belong instead of doing all the work yourself?

P.P.S. On an unrelated note, I have had An Idea. Will explain more once I see if it pans out.


	4. Chapter 4

_Day 27, Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180_

Dear Brother,

I was wrong. The professor is a demon.

Strongly worded letter to follow.

Love,

Hilda

P.S. Glad to hear that you're doing better, and being forced to delegate.


	5. Chapter 5

_Day 28, Great Tree Moon, Imperial Year 1180_

Dear Brother,

I am sorry to have worried you with my previous letter, and for not writing back sooner. I have been exhausted these past few day and haven't been able to pick up my quill without my hand shaking so hard that it makes any writing completely illegible.

As for what happened… first, I must begin with a chastisement for you, brother. How could you not tell me that the professors get to decide if we have our single free day at the end of the week or not?! This is so not fair. We students need a break every once in a while!

Before lessons began with the Professor, we were allowed the day of rest we needed, but I think that was mostly because the Professor was still figuring out what her plans would be, because on the first day of classes, she hit us hard with all sorts of competency tests to figure out where our strengths lay. The next day she watched over our training with Jeritza. After which, she spent the rest of the day on refreshers for terrain, proper care of equipment, basic formations, and stuff like that. Which wouldn't have been so bad if not for the gargantuan amount of work she gave us! Brother, I'm telling you, she was like a demon. Claude couldn't even get away with anything. And he definitely tried.

When it came time to assign weekly chores, she also put me on weeding duty! In the hot sun! For the entire week! Do you have any idea how long it takes to weed the entire monastery? With only two people? I was sure that my arms were going to fall off. It was especially horrible after combat practice. The only ray of hope shining for me amongst the unending sea of weeds is that Raphael was the one doing it with me. To be honest, he did most of the work. He just raced across the yard, pulling up weed after weed all while screaming at the top of his lungs. Sometimes he pulled up more than just the weeds though, and we got scolded a few times for the clods of dirt and grass and rocks that went flying. One day, when my arms hurt too much, he kindly let me point out which plants to uproot and which ones to leave while he took care of the work. He's a really sweet person.

We got another rest day after that, thankfully. I saw the Professor running around the monastery like a madwoman, though. Where does she find the energy to plan our lessons, teach, and check in on the knights and her father while also finding the time to do some gardening and fishing? I think she might be just as hard on herself as she is us, which is really the only thing that makes any of this bearable.

Then when classes began again this week, she started assigning us individual tasks and lessons. She keeps this super meticulous list of our goals and strengths and weaknesses, which she checks pretty regularly. She also taught us some basic tactics from a dusty old primer for a bit. That thing was seriously old, and a bit gross to look at.

Thankfully I was spared the big chores this week. But she still had me help out in the dining hall, with clearing plates and the like. It still hurt my arms, but not nearly as badly as the weeding did. Every muscle in my body still felt like sludge, though.

I could have forgiven her for all of that, though. But then she realized that we didn't need our only rest day this week, and that she had better plans in store for our time. Instead of recovering from our studies, she decided that we needed an additional training workout. It would be one thing if it was just additional weapons training, but… no. That was not what she has in mind for us.

She decided that we needed more battle practice before our mock battle at the end of the month. Which… okay. I can deal with that.

Except that it won't be against another house, or amongst ourselves.

She's pitting us up against the freaking Knights of Seiros!

The Knights, brother! The Knights!

The professor is insane. She honestly believes that we can hold our own against one of the most exclusive, and well trained forces in all of Fodlan. Us. The very, very green students.

Okay, so she did tell the Knights to go easy on us, and that it will be their own relatively green recruits we'll be going up against.

But I didn't know that at the time she announced it! I just about felt my soul depart for goddess's realm in the sky. And I wasn't the only one breaking out into a cold sweat, either. Ignatz and Marianne were right there with me. They're the only other ones here with good sense.

Everyone else, on the other hand, is just as insane as the Professor. Well, almost. Claude had started concocting a plan that involved mild poisoning of the Knights' food, which the Professor put an immediate stop to. So Claude might be worse than she is. And we chose him as our leader. Whatever shenanigans he gets up to, the rest of us will have to clean up. Not a comforting thought.

When I asked the Professor if I could sit this out, as my arms were hurting, and I thought I might have a sprain, she just smiled at me. It was the first time I've ever seen her smile, but it was not a comforting sight at all! She told me that everyone in the house would be participating, no exceptions. To rub salt in my wounds, she then told me that I would be in the front line!

Wish me luck for tomorrow, brother. I think I'm going to desperately need it.

Love,

Hilda


	6. Chapter 6

**The timing for these early chapters is off due to my forgetting the order of events. My apologies.**

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_Day 3, Harpstring Moon, Imperial Year 1180_

Dear Brother,

Yes, I am aware that exercise is good for me. However, I am not required to enjoy it. Aside from which, this goes beyond the light, regular exercise needed to keep a slim physique. I'm not sure what the goal of overworking us to the point of tears and hysterics would be, but that's about where I'm at right now.

The mock battle with the Knights of Seiros was… decidedly not fun. They outnumbered us and it was immediately clear that there was a skill gap between us. I know that they were told to go easy on us, but even then we were still nearly overwhelmed. The Professor ordered us into two front lines with melee fighters at the front with archers and mages behind. I had asked to be placed in the rear, more guarded part, but instead I was in one of the front lines.

I was so scared, brother. I was at the far end of the line, and the professor took care of most of the Knights coming for us, but I was still terrified. It was hard to fight in the forest, with roots everywhere, and I couldn't see my opponents clearly through the trees. I know that my opponents were at the same disadvantage, but it didn't feel like they were struggling nearly as much as I was. Before this, I had thought myself decent with my axe. But we were mostly fighting swordsman. In class, the Professor had drilled into us the weapon triangle, how axes are best against lancers and worst against swordsman. I don't think I truly understood why until that battle, though. My opponents were so much faster than I was. And once I had swung, I couldn't change my trajectory at all. Whereas the Knights were much more maneuverable with their swords.

It was horrible. By the end of it, I was sweaty, my hands had new blisters, and I think I lost some inches off my hair. The only reasons I didn't come out of that much worse off was because my opponents were just as impaired by the forest as I was, and because Marianne was at my back - healing me whenever a Knight scored a blow. I would give anything to have her supporting me for the rest of my life, healing me whenever I get the slightest scrape. You would appreciate her too, brother, with how often you get injured. Is there some way that we can arrange this?

In the end, our house did win that battle. I'm not sure it's a great victory, with how much they held back on us, but Leonie and Raphael and Claude somehow managed to requisition the dining hall for a celebration feast afterward. Captain Jeralt and the Knights we fought against joined us too. It wasn't quite as rejuvenating as a full day of rest would have been, but I have to admit… it was a lot of fun. The Knights turned out to be really friendly people, and they toasted our victory. They then swore vengeance and promised that the next time we faced them, it would be a lot more difficult. It was embarrassing, and a little bit alarming. But it was still nice.

That night, I think I slept harder than I've ever slept before. The next morning, I woke up to Lysithea trying to drag me out of bed by my leg for classes. Without much luck. She's a very tiny person, and I've recently learned that she's the youngest one here. But if she catches anyone saying that, she goes feral kitty cat on them. It's actually a bit adorable.

Classes so far this week have been a lot easier. Mostly we're just reviewing our experiences against the Knights, and the practical applications of our skills. Weapons training is still difficult, but I'm starting to get a bit used to them by now. Familiarity makes them much less daunting than before.

I think I've grown a lot closer with my housemates now. Marianne, in particular. She's very shy, and very pretty. But she's also very kind. A little prone to putting herself down, though. We have made plans to go shopping tonight. I need some tailoring on my outfits done, or maybe some new ones. Nothing fits quite right anymore, especially in the sleeves. Maybe I'm going through a late growth spurt? I hope so. I would love to be one of those super tall, elegant noblewomen.

There's supposed to be a seminar scheduled for tomorrow. Attendance is optional, but I think I'll probably sleep in, instead. It focuses on magic, and I'm not really interested in that. It seems like it involves quite a lot of studying. I would rather not. It's our last day off before the mock battle against the other houses next week, so I want to make the most of it. I've half-made some accessories that I can use while cheering for our house. I might take the opportunity to finish those up.

I will sign off here, as I think Marianne is at my door to collect me.

Love,

Hilda


	7. Chapter 7

**I feel it necessary to mention that Hilda's opinion does not reflect my own, ha ha.**

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_Day 5, Harpstring Moon, Imperial Year 1180_

Dear Brother,

How dare you accuse me of gaining muscle! I am not! You take that back! If you were here, I could show you just how noodly my arms really are! Take it back, or I won't tell you how the mock battle went!

As for Marianne, I did convey your offer of adoption to her, but she turned it down. She said that since she was already adopted into Margrave Edmund's House, that there was no reason for her to get greedy. Although she said that, I get the feeling that it might not reflect what she really wants. She gets incredibly nervous when I ask her questions about her home life. I will have to make the offer again later. Maybe once we become closer, she'll be in a more receptive mood for it.

Love,

Hilda

P.S. Seriously, you take it back! I am offended that you would even suggest such a horrible thing!


	8. Chapter 8

_Day 6, Harpstring Moon, Imperial Year 1180_

Dear Brother,

I can't believe that you wrote to my Professor asking for an update on my training! Before my own response even had time to reach you! If you knew what my reaction would be, why did you even say it in the first place?

Since I'm sure that the Professor's response has reached you by now, I might as well give you my own account of what happened with the mock battle. I will make sure to give you detailed and frequent accounts of my training from here on out, so there's no need to write the Professor ever again!

However, you will have to wait for my next letter, as it's my turn to help clean the classroom with Claude, and he keeps trying to peek at what I'm writing. He thinks he's being sneaky about it, but he has swept the aisle behind and in front of me twice each now. His motivations are incredibly transparent. It's no wonder that no one trusts him fully. I may have to give him some pointers later so he doesn't embarrass himself in further endeavors.

Love,

Hilda

P.S. That was quite the fiendish trick, brother dearest. I won't forget this anytime soon.


	9. Chapter 9

_Day 8, Harpstring Moon, Imperial Year 1180_

Dear Brother,

As promised, I am writing to you regarding the outcome of the mock battle. Truth be told, I have mixed feelings about it, and I'm still trying to sort them out, so please bear with me if I start rambling a bit.

Contrary to my multiple requests, the Professor decided that I should take the field on the front line again. I had thought that by skipping the seminar and due to my objectively poor performance in our skirmish with the Knights that I would be passed over for this fight. Especially since only four of us would be allowed to fight alongside the Professor.

Instead, she sidelined Lysithea, Leonie, Lorenz, and Raphael. I really don't understand why the Professor took them off the battlefield, when all of them are so eager to prove themselves. Especially Leonie, since she calls herself Jeralt's pupil. And instead, she puts me out in the thick of danger when I'd rather be anywhere else. Ignatz and Marianne, as well. The only one excited to be there was Claude, and I think as House Leader he's required to be, or else she might have sidelined him too. Other than being purposefully contrary, I'm having trouble thinking of any reason she might have for this.

Regardless, I had to fight. Which made the cheering accessories I spent all that time making somewhat pointless. Rather than letting them go to complete waste, I gave them to Raphael and Lysithea to use. They didn't seem to know what to do with them, nor did Leonie. Lorenz, although obviously put out at not being allowed to fight, decided to take it upon himself to instruct the others in how to cheer properly. Raphael's enthusiastic shouting drowned most of them out, but it was a good effort. I knew he had a huge lung capacity before this, but it was something else altogether to hear him all the way on the other side of the field.

It was a little scary, being the only frontline fighter, along with the Professor. Even when I knew that the others were backing us up.

The Professor's strategy was to use herself and me as bait to lure our opponents close, then hit them with ranged attacks from Claude and Ignatz. Then the Professor and I would finish them off if necessary. It was the opposite for when we fought ranged opponents. I have to admit that it worked, and it conserved Marianne's limited healing uses.

Both Professor Manuela and Professor Hanneman were on the field as well, though. Facing them was wholly terrifying. What if they held a grudge against us for attacking them? That would make life miserable around the monastery.

Luckily, the Professor took them out herself. I guess she didn't want to put us in that position? I'm grateful for that, and also because the Professors are all really strong. I wouldn't have been able to come out of that unscathed.

When it was all over, I was incredibly surprised to find that we were all still standing. Moreover, that we had won! When the Professors were giving us all our evaluations afterwards, I was shocked to find that all of the other students and Professors had been defeated by our House alone. Not a single person from the other two Houses scored a point. Edelgard and Dimitri seemed humiliated. I think they tried a couple of things during the mock battle, but I was too busy focusing on the opponents in front of me to get a good sense of what they were trying to do.

I know I should feel a lot happier about the outcome. After all, we won, and it was an overwhelming victory at that. But to be honest, brother? I was a lot more excited to take a bath afterwards than anything else. Battles are hard work, and not to mention sweaty. I think I'm more determined than ever to avoid them whenever possible.

During the celebration feast after the battle (which seems to be turning into a tradition that I fully endorse), Claude said something to us that I can't stop thinking about. He warned us that while celebrating our efforts was one thing, we shouldn't let winning this one time go to our heads. The other Houses will be more motivated now than they were before, and unless we step up our own efforts as well, we could easily wind up defeated the next time around. But although we're competing, we shouldn't waste any potential friendships we could form with the other Houses.

I know what the adults are hoping for, with all the House Leaders. I've heard the whispers, and the gossip. That everyone is pinning their hopes on the three to usher in an era of peace for all three nations. It seems… like too big of a responsibility for three teenagers to carry on their shoulders, you know? All of us already have our own responsibilities to bear, noble and commoner alike. It seems incredibly presumptuous of the adults to force such great expectations on those three. If they want peace so badly, why don't they do something about it themselves? Why leave it to teenagers to fulfill your own dreams? It seems incredibly selfish. Especially when the stakes are the fate of the entire continent and its people.

But it was the first time I'd heard even a hint that maybe Claude wants that sort of future as well. It wasn't quite the same, though, as Claude… I don't know. There was something in the way that he said it. It felt like Claude wants those friendships for their own sake, rather than solely to form alliances for the betterment of Fodlan.

I don't think I'm explaining this well. Maybe after I get to know him better, I'll understand it more.

Was it like this when you were the leader of the Golden Deer, brother? I know that the situation isn't exactly the same. But those expectations… I know that you've been under your fair share of them. How did you cope with all that pressure? Does it get easier? I know how it hurts you to fail at meeting someone else's expectations. But you get back up and try again, every single time. I admire you for that, you know. Even though it continuously perplexes me.

I hope you're taking care of yourself, brother. Although I sometimes find you frustrating, I still love you with all my heart, and I would hate for anything to happen to you.

And let's face it, if something did happen to you, I would make a horrible duchess. So stay safe.

Love,

Hilda

P.S. Claude turned down my offer of help. He said that he didn't want advice from someone as obvious and transparent as me. The sheer nerve of that guy! I'll show him a thing or two about sneakiness he won't forget anytime soon!


	10. Chapter 10

_Day 12, Harpstring Moon, Imperial Year 1180_

Dear Brother,

I don't think I've ever heard the expression "flexing on someone" before, but it does sound accurate. I've seen Raphael flexing his muscles to anyone he can, so it makes sense that the Professor might try to do the metaphorical equivalent to her peers. It kind of puts the entire mock battle into a funnier light.

Not much has happened since I last wrote to you. We have received our first mission from the church. It seems that those bandits that attacked us a month ago have been tracked and cornered in the Zanado Canyon. I have heard some nasty rumors about that place, brother. I know it's supposed to be some kind of holy site, but why is it called The Red Canyon? Seems kind of ominous, don't you think? Have you ever been there yourself? If so, what was your impression of it?

This will be our first real fight. I would be lying if I said I wasn't really nervous about it. These are the same people that nearly killed Claude and the others, after all. It seems rather cruel to have us students handle this instead of the much more experienced Knights. What if we freeze up? I want to know what your first real battle was like, brother. Was it horrible? Was it easy? Fun, even? Some of the other students seem almost jealous of our mission, but all I feel is apprehension. The Professor has already informed us that all of us are to take part in this mission, so I'd like to have an idea of what I'm in for, if it's not too much to talk about.

In other news, I've signed up for the choir, along with Lorenz. I've always liked singing, and I get credit for doing it, so it was a win-win situation. I'll still have to sing on festival days, but that's a small price to pay.

It deeply pains me to admit this, but you may have been correct about my muscle gain after all. During combat practice this morning, I was working with Annette, from the Blue Lions House. Instead of my regular axe, she brought me one of the training ones. Well, I misjudged its weight, and it slipped from my hands and went flying across the training arena. It ended up embedded in the wall. Jeritza gave me a heavier axe afterward, and said, "Take this, and be less of a menace." He got a little twitchy after that. I don't think I can blame him, though. After all, I was the one that almost shaved off the top of his ear. I felt really bad about it, but he wouldn't let me take a look to see if it grazed him. After I pestered him about it, he agreed to see Professor Manuela about it, so at least there's that.

I also can't deny the seamstress's new measurements for my uniform. It seems like she made it more durable as well as a bit loose. But don't think this means you're off the hook for being rude about it. And I will make the muscles work for me. You'll see.

Love,

Hilda


	11. Chapter 11

_Day 15, Harpstring Moon, Imperial Year 1180_

Dear Brother,

Thank you for being candid with me. I'm a little disappointed that you don't know much about Zanado, but your story about your first real fight was very helpful. I'll take your advice and speak to the Professors about my concerns. I doubt I will be allowed to sit it out, but maybe they can help with my anxiety about it. All I can really do aside from that is to prepare myself and put my trust in my housemates to watch my back. With what we've been through so far… I think that will be a lot easier than it was before.

Interestingly enough, we'll be getting an additional student within the next couple of days! Sylvain from the Blue Lions asked the Professor if he could join the Golden Deer instead! I think she's working out the paperwork with Seteth right now, and getting Sylvain up to speed on where our studies are at, but Professor Hanneman apparently signed off on the transfer so it's pretty much a done deal. I'm really excited about this. Sylvain is Margrave Gautier's son. The Gautiers are similar to our family, right? They're the ones in charge of Faerghus's defense against the Sreng region, while our family protects Fodlan's Throat from the Almyrans.

There are some rumors about Sylvain, though. Mostly calling him a skirt-chaser. But we already have one of those in our house, so what's one more? I wonder if the Professor or maybe Marianne caught his eye. They're both really pretty after all. He'll find them a challenge if that's the case. Neither is easy to approach. It should be entertaining to watch him try. He seems pretty friendly and helpful overall though, so I'm sure that he and I will get along fantastically. And don't worry, brother - I won't fall for easy flattery, I promise. I know all the tricks at that type's disposal.

At any rate, the Professor has stepped up the amount of training that we're doing. I hadn't thought that was possible, honestly. It may be difficult to find the time to write for a little bit. Don't worry, I'll still try to send you short updates in the meantime.

Love,

Hilda

P.S. No, I don't think Jeritza is holding a grudge, thankfully. He might be avoiding me, though. I still feel pretty bad about the whole thing. Do you have any ideas about how to make what I did right? Jeritza doesn't seem the type to respond well to most gestures, so I'm at a bit of a loss. I would hate it if he changed his mind and decided to make an example of me on the training ground.


	12. Chapter 12

_Day 17, Harpstring Moon, Imperial Year 1180_

Dear Brother,

I should clarify what I meant in my previous letter. I meant that Lorenz is prone to flattery himself, and that was why I know how to avoid the type! I'm sorry that I wasn't clear on that before. I'll try to read over what I write a little more carefully from now on, lest you… get the wrong idea again.

I was at least correct about Sylvain. He really is easy to handle, and fun to talk with when you know better than to fall for his charms. And he is charming, I'll give him that. So far he's not having any luck with the other Golden Deer girls either. The Professor in particular is shooting him down hard. It really is just as fun to watch as I thought it would be. Funnily enough, he gets along the worst with Lorenz. But I guess that's how it goes. They're like the same side of a magnet. They just naturally repel each other.

I forgot to tell you something in my last letter! I participated in the choir festival along with Ferdinand von Aegir, from the Black Eagles house. He is a bit full of himself, but seems like a decent person otherwise. Ferdinand's not too different from Sylvain and Lorenz, now that I think about it. It's kind of interesting how they each came from different countries, but they're still very similar. As for the performance itself, it went well! Ferdinand's confidence was not misplaced, and we worked well together. It would have been better if I had been allowed to do a little dance with it, but it was still a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to the next one.

We have another practice fight against the Knights this week. Although we're all stronger and better prepared than last time, I'm sure that the Knights will probably still run circles around us.

Wish us luck!

Love,

Hilda

P.S. I really wish there was another option, but I'll follow your advice and just train more diligently from here on out to avoid a repeat incident. Jeritza seems to have forgotten all about it, and I don't want to be the one that reminds him.


	13. Chapter 13

_Day 19, Harpstring Moon, Imperial Year 1180_

Dear Brother,

The practice match with the Knights yesterday went well. I didn't participate myself, as I had sprained my dominant wrist the night before. Can you believe my luck? I daresay that I really am like you in that respect. Now that Sylvain has joined us, he was able to take my place in the fight and we weren't short a person.

The Professor still had me help her with the logistic planning however, and used it as an excuse for an additional lesson. I honestly didn't realize how much went into the preparations for these, and how much arithmetic was involved. Luckily I'm much better at calculations that at fighting, even if I did have to do them with my other hand. While everyone else fought, I stayed in the infirmary getting treatment from Professor Manuela. She was surprised by how quickly it cleared up, but you know us Gonerils - we're fast healers! How is your foot doing, by the way? Is it still giving you any trouble?

Seteth and Professor Hanneman both stopped by while I was there. It seemed like they only came by to bicker with her and then they left. I couldn't tell what it was they came by for in the first place. It was kind of weird. I met Lady Rhea's page, as well. He brought by some supplies that Professor Manuela had needed. His name is Cyril, and he's about Lysithea's age I think. Get this, he's Almyran! I never expected to see one here this far inland. Outside of the occasional merchant, I mean.

I was able to rejoin my class when they returned for the celebration feast. According to Claude, it was hardly a challenge at all this time. I'm almost sorry that I missed it. I did enjoy talking to everyone while we ate, though.

We received the new chore roster for the week. It looks like I'm on watering duty in the greenhouse all week. Which means I'll have to get up really early everyday. I'm not looking forward to that.

Love,

Hilda


	14. Chapter 14

_Day 20, Harpstring Moon, Imperial Year 1180_

Dear Brother,

I'm shocked at how many people are up and going so early in the day. I would have thought that at least the mornings around here would be peaceful, but they're anything but that. I had assumed I'd at least have the monastery mostly to myself, or maybe see a couple of other students doing chores, but people were bustling around everywhere. In fact, I think it was busier than it is in the afternoon. I don't know how so many people manage to wake themselves up at this hour. I had a really hard time waking up, myself.

Despite that I arrived on time, I almost didn't get into the greenhouse at all, as it was locked when I arrived and I didn't see the greenhouse keeper anywhere. Luckily I spotted Cyril and he opened it up for me. He didn't stick around to chat though, which is a shame. He said he needed to cut firewood, and that if I didn't need anything else, I should get to work on my own chores instead of lollygagging about. Correct me if I'm wrong, brother, but is firewood even in the job description for a page? I thought they just carried messages and served guests and such.

After I was done watering the plants, I went to breakfast in the dining hall. I saw Felix of House Fraldarius there arguing with Prince Dimitri. Judging by their outfits, I guess they were up early training together? The conversation didn't look really friendly though, so I left them alone. I saw Hubert von Vestra and Dorothea from the Black Eagles there as well, but I sat by Mercedes from the Blue Lions instead. I hadn't really talked to her before this, so it was nice to get to know her. Besides which, Hubert seems… like a hard person to approach. It turns out that Mercedes was born in the Empire, but grew up in Faerghus, which is why she's a Blue Lion instead of a Black Eagle. She's the oldest student here, by the way; I was surprised to find out that she was in her twenties already. She might actually be older than my Professor!

I still had some time to kill before classes started, so I wandered around the monastery. I saw Dimitri and Felix again, but this time Sylvain was with them, as well as Ingrid of House Galatea. It looked like the other three were chastising Sylvain for something. I hope he's not in trouble for switching classes. Then again, there was distinct scent of strong perfume coming from that direction, and Ingrid isn't the type to wear any, so maybe Sylvain did something he shouldn't have.

I also saw Linhardt von Hevring fishing. At first I was surprised to see him awake so early, since he always seems to be half-unconscious. But then I realized that he was actually asleep while sitting up and holding his fishing pole. I was going to leave him alone - after all, who am I to disturb someone else's well deserved leisure time? But apparently Linhardt had actually baited his fishing pole. He snagged a big fish, which then pulled both Linhardt and his pole into the water. Before I could make any move to help, his friend Caspar von Bergliez was there trying to pull him out. Caspar wasn't having a good time of it though, given that Linhardt is a good deal taller and heavier than him. He kept dropping him back in the pond. After the second time, I didn't think it was accidental anymore. Eventually Linhardt pulled Caspar into the pond, too. It was pretty funny to watch. But all good things come to an end, and Hubert emerged from the dining hall and dealt with them. I left, so I wouldn't get caught in the crossfire.

I think I'll eat breakfast with Mercedes again tomorrow. The atmosphere around her is super peaceful, and I think I like it.

Love,

Hilda


	15. Chapter 15

_Day 25, Harpstring Moon, Imperial Year 1180_

Dear Brother,

I'm sorry to hear that you sprained your ankle, and so soon after your last injury healed! Maybe it's a sign that you should start listening to your darling little sister, and start taking it easier, hmm? Why were you even climbing a cliff in the first place? I know it's almost summer, but there's still snow in the mountains! You're lucky you only got a sprain. Honestly, you're starting to worry me a bit. Rest up and heal quickly, brother.

To answer your question about the bandit mission: no, we haven't heard anything back yet. All this waiting and the not knowing when we'll be risking our lives is getting to me a little. I keep thinking "Is this going to be the day?" And then I start fretting about whether or not I'm prepared for it. Then nothing happens and I just feel incredibly frazzled. Only for it to repeat the next day, and the next, and… well, you get the idea. I'm in danger of getting a stomach ache at this rate. I know the solution is to just let it go, but I'm having trouble keeping my mind off of it. Do you have any advice for me on how to deal with it? I don't imagine that the Almyrans give you much warning before they attack Fodlan's Throat. Is the constant waiting as stressful for you as it is for me?

As for my chores, they went pretty well this week. I might even like getting up this early, who knew? There's something refreshing about the air. It would be better if it was quiet, but I guess I can't have everything. Cyril had to open up the greenhouse for me every day, though. It seemed for a while that it was making him incredibly irritated, so I apologized for bothering him for it. Apparently I was off the mark though, as I caught him by surprise with it. He apologized right back to me, and said that he wasn't angry at me. It turns out that Professor Manuela is supposed to open up the greenhouse first thing in the morning. So Cyril was actually irritated with her for sleeping in. He had a few more choice words for her, but I won't bother you with them. I think he's planning on adding it to his own list of chores from here on out. I feel kind of bad, since the kid has an impressive workload already. But I guess it's not really any of my business if he wants to work himself into the ground. I'm sure Lady Rhea will admonish him if he goes too far.

This morning, Mercedes did the watering for me, however. I had a meeting scheduled with the Professor, and she volunteered to cover for me. It was only afterward that I remembered that my meeting with the Professor is actually tomorrow. I waited for her to come to lunch, but when she didn't show up, I went to check on her. She was still in the greenhouse! Not only had she watered all of the plants, she'd also pulled weeds, tended to a sick plant, and spread fertilizer. All on her free day, no less.

Is there something about this monastery that produces overachievers? Or maybe just attracts them? I mean… there's you, Mercedes, Lysithea, and Cyril… and I'm sure plenty of others here as well. I feel like Linhardt, Sylvain, and I are the only ones trying to enjoy ourselves here. We're all still pretty young. Pretty soon, we'll have to step up as adults, but there's nothing wrong with enjoying the time we have left before then, is there?

The new chore roster will be posted soon, so I'll have to check it before I turn in for the night. I hope it's not weeding again. That was a horrible experience.

I hope you recover soon.

Love,

Hilda


	16. Chapter 16

_Day 27, Harpstring Moon, Imperial Year 1180_

Dear Brother,

I had no idea that was why you came home so often. I honestly thought you were slacking off. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure why I ever thought that when you're one of the most diligent people I know. I'll try to take your advice, but I'm not sure how useful it will be for me. Approaching it like a job or a chore doesn't sound really appealing to me, and I'm already doing as much as I can to distract myself from the situation. It's not like I'm lacking for distractions at the monastery. On that note, it's been a really strange couple of days.

Just the other day, Dorothea was going around asking if anyone had seen her undershirt. Apparently it had blown away in the wind while she was doing laundry. She was super embarrassed about it and I don't blame her. I would hate it if one of my underthings disappeared and a stranger found it. Dorothea even asked the Professor to help, but the Professor got a funny look on her face. I don't think Dorothea noticed since she doesn't know the Professor well. The Professor looked blank-faced, but not like normal. This was more… I don't know… controlled? Like she knew something that Dorothea didn't but didn't want to tell her. Weird. I wonder if the owl took it. It does have its nest pretty close to the Professor's room after all. I certainly wouldn't want my undershirt back if a bird had been using it.

As thanks for helping me out and for getting the date wrong with the Professor, I brought Mercedes some pastries this morning. It turned out that today is her birthday! She was thrilled, but I felt kind of bad since these weren't really a birthday gift. I wish I had known earlier. That way I could have gotten her something better. It's kind of strange that she didn't mention it when we had our lunch together, though it's even odder that the Professor knew and brought her flowers. Mercedes isn't even in the Professor's class! Then again, she also brought some to Raphael on his birthday a couple of weeks ago, so maybe the Professors all have a birthday roster? That would be pretty cool. I wonder if I'll get flowers from her on my birthday, too.

As for my meeting with the Professor yesterday, well… it turns out that she wanted me to take a test! I was hoping that she'd want to talk fashion or something. She took me to the training grounds and I had to wait around with a couple of other people. Dedue from the Blue Lions was there, and so was Caspar and Edelgard. Caspar is pretty friendly, but Dedue is hard to talk to. Not like how Hubert is, though. Dedue is just a super quiet person. I tried to make small talk with him about the weather, and no matter what I tried it just fell flat. Caspar wasn't much better since all he wanted to talk about was fighting and how he'd ace the exam, but his chatter was better than Dedue's silence. Edelgard looked tired, so I didn't bother her. I wonder if she's getting enough sleep? There were huge bags under her eyes.

That wasn't the worst part of it though. That was when Jeritza came in. He took one look at me, said, "No," and then left! They had to find someone else to proctor the exam. I guess he does remember what I did. I was so mortified, brother, you have no idea!

Our proctor ended up being Seteth. Which was hardly better than Jeritza, to be honest. For a church administrator, the man is surprisingly strong.

I was exhausted and sweaty by the time it was done. Caspar took pity on me and gave me a rag to wipe with, which was nice of him. I declined, since he'd just used it and it was all soaked and gross. But still, I appreciated the thought.

As if that wasn't enough, though, the Professor then had me take a written test on the role of axe users on the battlefield. I was so lightheaded from the practical exam that I could hardly concentrate at all on it.

I don't know how, but I somehow passed both parts of the exam. I am now a fully certified warrior. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I think I feel a little proud, though. The others passed as well, I heard, so it's pretty cool to think that I'm on the same level as them. At the same time, I'm worried that people will start thinking that I'm on the same level as them and start putting me on the front lines more often. That's the last thing that I want. Especially since we'll be fighting those bandits soon…

And now I'm thinking about the bandits again. I'll have to try harder to forget about them.

Love,

Hilda

P.S. I mentioned your ankle to Professor Manuela, and she gave me some ointment to send to you with this letter. She said that you were one of her favorite students, and that you were a frequent visitor to the infirmary. I should have expected as much, given how often you injure yourself. I hope the ointment helps.

P.P.S. I had the strangest dream about Professor Hanneman the other day. I dreamt that I was sleepwalking, and saw him steal a hairbrush from my Professor's room. Weird, right? I didn't think I was the type to dream about sleepwalking while I was asleep. The Professor Hanneman part, on the other hand, I can definitely see happening - so clearly that it feels like a memory more than a dream.


	17. Chapter 17

_Day 29, Harpstring Moon, Imperial Year 1180_

Dear Brother,

I know that you're probably only just receiving my previous letter as I write this, but we've gotten the order to march to Zanado. We are leaving first thing in the morning, and it will probably take us most of a day to get there. I'm so nervous, my hand is shaking as I write this.

Wish us luck.

Love,

Hilda


	18. Chapter 18

_Day 1, Garland Moon, Imperial Year 1180_

Dear Brother,

I've returned to the monastery safely. Thank you for all the letters you sent me. To be honest, I'm rather impressed that you managed to send me so many in such a short span of time and at how quickly they were delivered.

To quell your worries, yes, I am perfectly fine. I have a couple of blisters on my feet, but I'm otherwise alright. Lysithea tripped on a stone in the road on the way to the canyon and had to be carried most of the way, though. Raphael didn't seem to mind carrying her all that way, but Lysithea sure was angry about it. She really hates being treated like a child, and she made sure we all knew it.

It was dark by the time we reached the canyon, so we set up camp much further away than the Professor had originally marked on our maps. We entered the canyon the next day and went straight to where the bandits had been cornered.

The fighting as it turned out was nothing special. There were a lot of bandits but all of us were prepared for it, and we were able to rout them. I suspect that the Knights of Seiros did most of our work for us before we arrived. Lysithea's ankle was much better after Marianne gave her some first aid the night before under the Professor's watch and it didn't seem to be hurting her at all during the fight. It probably helped that the Professor had Sylvain assist her, too.

I had originally meant to hang back a little bit and support the others mostly, but then the Professor and Claude split us into two smaller groups with me at the head of one of them. We took the bandits by surprise and surrounded them before they really knew what hit them, so it wasn't as bad as I had feared.

I killed three bandits. I thought I would feel something more at killing a man, even if he was a bandit, but I think I was more surprised than anything else. It was… a lot easier than I thought it would be. I mean, it must be if even I can do it. I feel a little silly over how worried I was about it.

I don't think some of the others fared as well as me, though. Ignatz was shaking like a leaf, and Marianne mostly just prayed inside her tent and didn't come out. Sylvain hardly talked the whole time, and he seemed a bit pale. I don't think this is what he had in mind when he asked to join our class. I made sure they all had food, but there wasn't much else I could do for them. But those bandits would've definitely killed us given the chance, so I don't really feel sympathetic or at all bad, really, that they had to die.

The fighting didn't seem to affect Raphael's appetite at all, though. He managed to put away half the pot by himself. At least we will never have to worry about dumping leftovers and attracting wildlife with him around.

You know, now that I think about it, I think everyone killed at least one bandit. Even Marianne, who was mostly on healing duty, and Sylvain who was protecting Lysithea. I wonder if the Professor engineered that on purpose? If so, I'm having a hard time figuring out why. I will have to ask her about it later, once she's done meeting with the Archbishop. The Professor was spacing out at camp and on the march back home, so I wonder if she's feeling alright? It doesn't seem like she was upset over killing bandits, and besides, she was a mercenary before this. I'm betting that she's killed loads of people before. Maybe she just has a lot of strategy and teaching stuff on the brain.

I hope this alleviates some of your concern for me, brother. Our next mission should be announced soon. I will be sure to let you know what it will be.

Love,

Hilda

P.S. The canyon wasn't red at all, which was a bit disappointing. Why is it called The Red Canyon, then? It wasn't even red at sunset. Then again, it was cloudy, so maybe that has something to do with it.


	19. Chapter 19

**I am going to start putting the dates on the letters (current and previous) to make it a little easier to see when everything is occurring since there's been some confusion.**

* * *

_Day 2, Garland Moon, Imperial Year 1180_

Dear Brother,

Thank you, again, for all of the letters that you're sending. I'm happy that you're so concerned for my safety, but three letters in a single day is a bit… much. I'm guessing all is quiet at Fodlan's Throat, or I'm sure you wouldn't have the time to send me so many. Please be sure not to neglect your duties out of worry for me. I will try to answer all of your questions as best as I can with this letter.

We were exempted from the chores roster this week thanks to the bandit extermination, but not from classes. Those will be resuming tomorrow as normal, unfortunately. At least we got today off.

It's sweet-tooth week in the dining hall starting today, so Lysithea has been bouncing for joy when she thinks no one is watching. It's incredibly cute. Annette and Mercedes are also really excited for it. I must admit that I'm pretty thrilled too; there haven't been all that many sweets available on the menu up until now, but it looks like they added a few new ones. I can't wait to try them!

Our new assignment has already been decided, even though we only got back yesterday from fighting the bandits. It looks like there's been an uprising in the west. We'll be assisting the Knights of Seiros in quelling it, and it doesn't seem like we'll be on the front lines, so I'm not too worried about it. Still, it does strike me as an odd thing to have students take care of, even if we do need the practical experience. Lady Rhea assigned the mission, however, so I'm sure she knows what she's doing. It looks like Thunderbrand's wielder, Lady Catherine, will be joining us on this mission as well. I doubt any enemies will even get close to us with such a renowned and strong Knight of Seiros around!

My new Warrior armor was finished while we were away. I wish I could have worn it to exterminate the bandits, as it probably would have helped my nerves, but everything turned out alright even in my normal gear. It will be good to have it ready for this next assignment. That being said… I really wish the design was cuter. The Professor had me run through a couple of drills to test it out for any issues and the fur is incredibly stifling. I'm dreading the hotter months to come with it. It also just… absorbs sweat like you wouldn't believe, and then it started smelling really rank and now I have to spend extra time airing it out in order to stand storing it in my room. I came up with some design changes that I thought would make it cuter and smell less bad, but when I brought them to the armorer he got really mad at me for some reason. The Professor didn't back me up on the changes either. She did say nice things about my enthusiasm though, and invited me to tea to talk more about my crafting, which was really nice. It's really easy to talk to her, even though she's so quiet. She looked like she was really paying attention to what I was saying. And she even served up mint leaves, one of my favorite teas, and had special treats for us to snack on. It kind of made me feel special and appreciated.

I'm going to end this letter here for now. It looks like there will be quite a few events this week so I need to prepare my schedule!

Hope you're staying healthy.

Love,

Hilda


	20. Chapter 20

**Sorry that the new chapters are taking forever. The good news is that the roommate is taking a break from playing Three Houses himself, so I can borrow his switch again to work on this. I'm hoping to post at least one chapter a month - I'll post more if inspiration strikes me.**

* * *

_Day 5, Garland Moon, Imperial Year 1180_

Dear Brother,

I know you haven't had the chance to write back yet, but I am very upset and I need to vent to you about it. It turns out that today was Sylvain's birthday, and no one cared to tell me about it beforehand! I'm so embarrassed. I didn't have the time to prepare an appropriate gift for him!

Why did the Professor keep this important information to herself? I know she has some kind of list. I heard from one of the guards I'm friendly with that all the professors received a schedule of faculty and student birthdays in addition to the regular events' one. I need to get my hands on it if I'm to prepare gifts in time for everyone in our house!

Lorenz saw that I was upset and volunteered that his own birthday is next week, so I will at least be able to get something ready for him in time. I'm not sure what yet, but I'm sure I can figure something out. Perhaps some sort of tea? I think it's one of his sets that the Professor borrows whenever she wants to brew some. It shouldn't be too difficult to find out what Lorenz's favorite blend is. I might enlist Claude's help to avert suspicion from myself. Lorenz seems to consider him a political rival already.

Speaking of tea, the Professor invited Sylvain to have tea with her instead of giving him flowers like she did with Raphael. Sylvain apparently flirted relentlessly the entire time, if Leonie is to be believed. The Professor should know better than to encourage him like that. He'll get the wrong idea. Especially since the Professor then gave him an owl feather as a birthday gift! I am so incredibly jealous. Those feathers are gorgeous, and soft, and perfect for making accessories!

I was able to save some face from the whole affair by offering to make Sylvain's feather into an accessory for him as a birthday gift from me. He then had the gall to say he'd prefer a kiss. Ingrid happened to be passing by right then and she shook him so hard I think his teeth rattled. It did make me laugh, though, so that wasn't so bad. Actually, I suspect that Ingrid had been planning to wish him a happy birthday as well. Her pride and outrage seem to have gotten in the way, but it was a sweet gesture on her part. Not just Ingrid, but Felix and Dimitri also came by to give him their best wishes. Well… Dimitri did. I think Felix actually challenged Sylvain to a duel, but since they're childhood friends, maybe that's just the way he shows his affection? Sylvain seemed pretty happy about it, even after Felix gave him a black eye. He even called it a badge of honor when I offered to help conceal it with my makeup. Sylvain is… a strange one. He fits right in with the rest of us in the Golden Deer.

I have to cut this letter off here - there's a choir festival I have to prepare for in a couple of days. Wish me luck!

Love,

Hilda

P.S. If it were you, what type of owl feather accessory would you like to receive? I considered a hair pin, but Sylvain doesn't really have long enough hair for that.


End file.
